It was 45 years ago today that the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior after an unexpected storm came up. The entire crew of 29 lost their lives and were never found.

The ship was carrying a full cargo of ore pellets on a voyage from Superior, Wisconsin on November 9 to a steel mill near Detroit. The ship encountered near hurricane force winds with waves of 35 feet high and sank in Canadian waters.

Many people have speculated on the reason for the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Some say it fell victim to the high waves, others say it was possibly because of structural damage sustained in the storm.

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With the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, several changes were made regarding shipping regulations and practices that included mandatory life suits, positioning systems and more vessel inspections. Those regulations came too late for the 29 men lost on November 10, 1975.

The sinking led to the writing, composing and singing of the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot in 1976.

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